Charles and his wife Whitney said Monday she and Perkins were related.

"Our family has suffered a personal tragic loss," Charles and his wife said in a statement posted on his website, JC25.co. "Kasandra Perkins was in-fact first cousin to my wife, Whitney. As this is a very tough time for our family, I ask that we are respected as we grieve. Kasandra was not only family, but a friend and a loving mother. As my actual family and my Kansas City Chiefs family have been altered forever, we ask that you keep us and most importantly their child in prayer.